Articles

Air Travel

Article / Air Travel

Another Airline Is Finally Launching Free In-Flight Wi-Fi

After dragging their feet for years, major U.S. airlines suddenly seem to be in a rush to give passengers free Wi-Fi. This week American Airlines announced that free high-speed Wi-Fi…

Article / Air Travel

British Airways Customer Service Chatbot Doesn't Know What London and Heathrow Are, Apparently

Science fiction led us to believe robots would be flummoxed by trying to process logical paradoxes, such as the sentence "This statement is a lie" or perhaps the idea of "jumbo…

Article / Air Travel

Are We Supposed to Be Tipping Flight Attendants Now?

Given that we now live in a world where you might be asked by a payment screen how much you'd like to tip at a self-checkout kiosk, it should probably come as no surprise that the…

Article / Air Travel

Delta Tells Passengers to Arrive Earlier if They Have Bags

If you're flying Delta Air Lines in the domestic United States, make sure you bring a watch and a diversion. You'll now have to get to the airport even earlier to obtain the full…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Don't Have a REAL ID? You Can Use These Forms of Identification Instead

Update, December 1, 2025: As of February 2026, the United States government will charge its citizens a $45 fee to fly if they go to the airport without a REAL ID. Read more about the…

Article / Air Travel

Don't Lose Your Phone on a Flight! They Might Turn the Plane Around

Misplace your phone during a flight and the pilot might turn the plane around. That's what happened on a recent Air France flight from Paris to the Caribbean. When a passenger and crew…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

How to Spot Fake Reviews Written By AI, According to an AI Professional

Fake reviews of hotels, restaurants, and tours have been a problem for travelers since the earliest days of the internet. But now that sketchy businesses can use artificial…

Article / Air Travel

America's Air Traffic Control Needs Fixing—Here's What to Do (and Not to Do)

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Air Travel

Save Money on Checked Luggage! The Best Carry-On Bags That Fit Under an Airline Seat

When airlines began charging to check bags, they also ushered in the era of "gate lice." That's modern slang for people who jockey for early boarding to their flights in order to score…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Can You Really Get Water Past TSA by Claiming It's "Medical"? Fact-Checking Social Media

An Instagrammer says he figured out how to get full-size bottles of water past Transportation Security Administration checkpoints."Here's the greatest travel hack of all time,"…

Article / LGBTQ

"They’re Shrinking Our World": Trans Travel Freedoms Are Under Threat. Can Anything Be Done?

What’s it like to be a transgender American right now? “We’re scared, quite frankly,” Dr. Devon Ojeda, senior national organizer with Advocates for Trans Equality, tells…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest Is Changing Its Bag Policy. You Won't Like It.

Southwest Airlines is doing away with the one policy that made the carrier stand out from the competition. Starting May 28, the airline will no longer allow every passenger two free…

Article / Air Travel

U.S. Aviation Safety is Under Fire

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Could This TikTok User Really Get Fined $500 for Bringing a Banana Into the U.S.?

The banana is indisputably the funniest fruit, owing to its shape, color, and connections to pratfalls and monkeys (the funniest primate). But a banana-related misadventure recounted…

Article / Air Travel

Cheap Flights from USA to Europe This Spring, Starting at $389 Round-Trip

Americans hoping to book an affordable spring getaway in Europe still have airfare options, thanks to Aer Lingus. Ireland's flagship carrier has rolled out a fresh batch of discounted…

Article / Miscellaneous

Meet Pauline Frommer in Washington, DC, March 29–30

Pauline Frommer's next live appearances at the Washington, DC, Travel & Adventure Show (promo code for free tickets inside!)

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

What Documents Do I Need for REAL ID?

Update: Since publication of this post, REAL ID requirements went into place.The oft-postponed REAL ID deadline is almost here—only 17 years or so behind schedule. Passed by Congress…

Article / Air Travel

When Is the Best Time to Book Airfare? A Massive New Study Has Answers

Though the world is feeling chaotic right now, it's still possible to spot patterns in the realm of travel purchases. That can mean the difference between spending too much and getting…

Article / Honeymoons

Ready to Take Your Love to New Heights? Join the Mile High Club in a Hot Air Balloon

Oftentimes when you travel with that special someone, love is in the air—and it can be quite literally in the air if you opt for a "Mile High Flight" package from a company called…

Article / Air Travel

What's It Like to Take Uber's Shuttle to LaGuardia Airport? Our Review

Airport shuttles were one of the many victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the United States, a bunch of shuttle services went out of business, and most have not come back.But Uber…

Article / Air Travel

For $486 Each Way, the "First-Ever" Nonstop Flights Between Puglia, Italy, and the USA

It's always happy news when an airline makes it easier and cheaper for Americans to reach new destinations.This week, Italy-based Neos Airlines announced that it will soon inaugurate…

Article / Passportable

You Can Now Use Venmo for JetBlue Tickets—but Should You?

JetBlue has become the first airline to accept Venmo as a payment option when booking flights directly on the JetBlue website. The airline's partnership with the popular mobile payment…

Article / Air Travel

The Big Lie of Aviation DEI

The White House claims diversity threatened airline safety. Here’s proof it hasn't.

Article / Passportable

Do You Have to Pay the UK's New ETA if You're Changing Planes? The Rules Just Changed

Let's not dwell too long on what a convoluted mess the rollout of the United Kingdom's new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been. It's enough to note that nothing seems to go…

Article / Passportable

The World's Most On-Time Airlines and Airports Named in New Report

Severe weather, computer problems, and, in the U.S., an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers combined to thwart airlines' efforts to stay punctual in 2024. Yet many carriers…